Semiconductor memory devices are memory devices that are made of semiconductors materials such as silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), gallium arsenide (GaAs), and indium phosphide (InP). In general, semiconductor memory devices are classified into volatile memory devices and nonvolatile memory devices.
Volatile memory devices lose their stored data when their power supplies are interrupted. Volatile memory devices include static random access memory (SRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM). Nonvolatile memory devices retain their stored data even when their power supplies are interrupted. Nonvolatile memory devices include a read only memory (ROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), a flash memory device, a phase-change RAM (PRAM), a magnetic RAM (MRAM), a resistive RAM (RRAM), and a ferroelectric RAM (FRAM). Flash memory devices are categorized as two types, i.e., NOR type and NAND type.
In the early stage, a flash memory device can store two states (1 bit) in a single memory cell. With the advance in technology, two bits or more can be stored in a single memory cell. That is, a multi-media cell (MLC) technology has been developed to store more data in a limited cell. However, with the shrinkage of processes, sizes of memory cells are reduced and coupling between the memory cells is increased, which can deteriorate dispersion characteristics of the memory cells and increase non-uniformity of the memory cells. In addition, if program/erase operations are repeated, dispersion characteristics of the memory cells are further degraded and may limit lifetime of a flash memory.